Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-08-03
aeIi5trllanrous &raAina.
THE. BL.Ark SHADOW.

THE BLACK SHADOW.
We were creeping we'll up to Cape
IIatlrra:; when the storm broke.
The steamer had made all secure,
and there WaS not even shade of
anxiety on the faces of the officers is
they passed to and fro. The storm
came with Il howl of fury. out of a
clear afternoon sky the hurricane
lraprd like a hungry wild beast, and
in Il quarter Of an hour the ocean
was frothing and foanling and rush
ing upon itself like Il mighty ami
NAL driven mad by awful torture.
Half and hour after the first leap of
the storm women had pale faces and
set lips, and children were wailing.
An hour later men trrmblcd and
looked holloW-cyed.
Fury let lOo>r-thc ShrickS and
>crcamSo Of 100000 lcvils-the below
ing Of lcgions Of fierce bulls. ltWas
Il grand, big ship, but she WAS a chip
i'm that huge cauIdron of froth, no
more than Il grain Of sand in that
roaring, screaming hurricane. She
groancd and lamcntcd at every
surge Il thousand prisoners seemed
beating at her matches to escape as
she lifted wcarily over the great seas.
Around her iron sparS, through her
wire ri rigging, over her and around
her screamed the gale, and every
breath Of it which struck iron or
wood sent out Il hundred other
shricks.
In the long wide cabin were gath
cred $50 people. They were awcd-
silrnccd-humblcd. The children no
longer walled aloud. The women
gasp ped and chOked as families gath
cred together. Men may fear, but
they do not weep. They may feel
the terror, but they are dumb.
In the broad light Of Il June day
with the coast Il thin line on the
watcr-with Il great world about It's
with heavens sun shining as bright
ly as man ever saw it Shinc-mcn,
women and children felt the shadow
of death creeping out from behind
the sun-advancing with the fury
bubbling up from the depths OF the
trcachcrouS sea. They felt it, and
they prayed to God to spare them.
BY and by there was sudden
shock. The great vessel lurchcd
heavily, rightcd herself slowly, and
next instant men were shouting in
alarm. The shaft had broken. She
was helpless.
You have read Of the troughS of
the sca-thc great h0llows between
the waves. They are the graves of
ships dug by the hands Of the howl
ing gaIc-coverrd up by the hands
of the calm. These graves are never
marked. The waters Of the sea cam
not be written on. There are ncith-
or tOmbStoncs nor culogicS. In Il
day the grave has vanishcd-gonc
none but the waters can tell where.
And now the steamers head fell
off and we were presently rolling
bruadsidc to the hurricane. She was
in the trough Of the sea, and hcrgrave
had been dug. While some OF the
crew worked to get Il drag over the
quarter, others went to the boats.
They had no heart. Terror Was
shrivcling their courage as paper
shrivrls in the fire. Fury laughed
drriSivcly at the idea. Puny man
fighting Il hurricane blowing Il hun
drcd miles an hour! Mortal man
striving to conquer an cnragcd ocean
No boat could live in that turmoil.
No makc-shiit could bring thatgr0an-
ing, complaining steamers hcadlback
to the wind. When they realized
this all hope died out Of their hearts.
Men crowded together to die in COM
pany-SOnc went away to be alone
when the last moment came.
There were lilc-prcservcrs. y few
glanced at them and then at the sea.
Mockcry! \ hunter with but sim
gle shot thinking to save his life
against the denizcns Of an Indian
Jungle, TO be smothcrcd in the
angry foam-tO be buried under tons
of rushing watcr--tO be flung about
aS toy-strangled, drowned, bruiS-
rd-Swcpt out to sea Il bloated corpse,
50 ON to become food for sharks.
And now the end was nigh. The
HlclClltSS "iNNE WHY l"u'i'AiC 90
the steamer, breaking, bruising,
sweeping away. Did men curse and
women shrick": Did men pray and
women weep: Did children moan
in their awful fright" 80! Not Il
voice was raiSrd-not Il murmur
heard. Death was coming. The
shadow Of the terrible hand rested
over the boat. There were no cow
ards, or all were towards. ut the
last moment faces grew palrr, lips
were more tightly drawn, eyes had
such II haunted, tortured express
sion that. you felt to pity. Families
drew apart from each other, hands
were cllSpcd, and there waS only Il
moment to wait. As the steamer
reached the crest of 4 wave she stag
gcrcd, shook herself, and then fell
over ON her side. At the last in
slant, Just as she turned, there was
one awlu! chorus of shrirkS and pray
crS and shouts for mercy. Even the
huWlS of the hurricane could not
drown that sound, but it was caught
up and shattered and scattered, and
next moment half Il dozen strong
men, battling with the desperation
of despair for two or three minutes
more of life, were the only remnants
of the awful wrath. That black Slad-
uw had envelopcd all the rcst.-Dc-